How To Collect | The Boston Celtics

18 Championships and Counting

A record 18 Championships. 429 playoff wins. Celtic Green. Celtic Pride. The Boston Garden. It’s Russell and Cousy, Bird and McHale, Pierce and Garnett, Brown and Tatum. It’s Red and his cigar. One of the league’s true flagship franchises, its first and most dominant dynasty, and one-half of the most important rivalry in the history of basketball. 

The Boston Celtics offer one of the richest collecting legacies in basketball. From Bill Russell’s 1957 rookie to Larry Bird’s iconic 1980 card, and modern stars like Pierce, Garnett, and Allen, Celtics cards provide both vintage grails and affordable modern chases for every collector.

If you’re looking to collect a basketball team, the Boston Celtics are a fantastic place to start. Through the story of the C’s, so much of the history of the sport itself is told. Let’s take a look at some of the players, teams, and legends of the Boston Celtics in The Hobby.

Jump to:

• Celtics Mount Rushmore
• The Champs are Here
• Celtic Fan Favorites
• Capturing History
• Collecting Celtics FAQs
• Key Facts

Celtics Mount Rushmore

No NBA team has produced more Hall of Famers. For Celtics collectors, these four players are cornerstone chases:

• 1957 Topps Basketball #77 Bill Russell RC — The ultimate Celtics grail card.
• 1957 Topps Basketball #17 Bob Cousy RC — The original floor general.
• 1969 Topps Basketball #20 John Havlicek RC — Versatile, clutch legend.
• 1980/81 Topps Basketball #6 Larry Bird / Julius Erving / Magic Johnson RC — An all-time Hobby classic.

1957 Topps Basketball #77 Bill Russell RC 

1957 Topps Basketball #17 Bob Cousy

1969 Topps Basketball #20 John Havlicek RC 

1980/81 Topps Basketball #6 Julius Erving / Larry Bird / Magic Johnson 

The Champs are Here

The Celtics won 11 titles in 13 years from 1957 to 1969, and another resurgence came in the 1980s with Bird, McHale, and Parish. For modern collectors, the 2008 championship trio of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen offers affordable but highly collectible rookie cards:

• 1996/97 Topps Basketball #217 Ray Allen RC
• 2007/08 Topps Chrome Basketball #15 Kevin Garnett Refractor
• 1998/99 Topps Basketball #135 Paul Pierce RC

Ray Allen’s rookie card can be found in the iconic 1996/97 Topps Chrome Basketball set, which launched the Chromium Era on the Hardwood. 

Garnett didn’t arrive in Boston until the 2007/08 season, but he promptly elevated the Celtics back to relevance, domination, and the championship. His first Celtics card captures everything the city came to love about the hyper-competitive superstar. 

Pierce, the most beloved of the bunch in Beantown, has this phenomenal rookie card from the 1998 Topps set — a remarkable player image capturing Pierce’s entire body flying through the air, ready to hammer home a dunk. 

True ‘08 heads may also want to add the likes of point guard supreme Rajon Rondo, current assistant coach Sam Cassell, and now-local broadcast commentator Brian Scalabrine to the fold.

Celtics Fan Favorites

Bill Russell famously led the Celtics to the championship as a player-coach in 1968 and 1969, and the Celtics have plenty of examples through history of players remaining heavily involved in the franchise after their playing time ended. Danny Ainge won two titles with the Celtics in the ’80s and became the architect of the 2008 juggernaut, crafting two historic trades in a matter of days to bring both KG and Ray Allen to Boston. 

Ainge then ensured years of success by trading Garnett and Pierce to Brooklyn for draft picks that would lead to the acquisition of the 2024 champion duo, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Ainge’s cards are a great way to help tell the story of the fabric of the Celtics; the tale of a franchise whose culture has built championships time and again. For a fun twist, track down Ainge’s Toronto Blue Jays RC. That’s right, he was a two-sport star!

Though Bill Walton didn’t play his entire career in Boston, he did become a fan favorite during his tenure wearing Celtic green. The 1978 MVP with Portland and one of the most talented players of all time, Walton dealt with years of injury issues throughout his career, but he battled to help the Celtics win it all in 1986.

Walton played only 19 minutes per game, yet amazingly, he appeared in 80 regular-season games and made it through the playoffs. 

With Walton on board, Bird called the team “The best I’ve ever been on.” The domination, the beautiful ball movement — the 1986 Celtics are a historic and synonymous with greatness.

Capturing History Your Way

With decades of championships and legends, Celtics collecting is about more than grails. Whether chasing vintage Hall of Famers, 2008 heroes, or niche fan favorites, the green-and-white Hobby journey is truly in the eye of the beholder.

Collecting Boston Celtics Cards FAQs

• What is the most valuable Boston Celtics card?
  • Bill Russell’s 1957 Topps rookie card is widely considered the most valuable Celtics card, often fetching high prices in top grades.
• Which modern Celtics cards are worth collecting?
  • Key modern chases include Ray Allen’s 1996/97 Topps Chrome RC, Paul Pierce’s 1998 Topps RC, and Kevin Garnett’s Celtics-era cards.
• Are Larry Bird cards good investments?
  • Yes, especially the 1980 Topps card featuring Bird, Magic Johnson, and Julius Erving, which is a historic and highly sought-after rookie card.
• What Celtics cards are affordable for new collectors?
  • Rookies and inserts of Rajon Rondo, Marcus Smart, and 2008 championship players offer affordable entry points.
• Do Celtics cards include autographs and parallels?
  • Yes. Modern Topps Chrome and other releases feature autographs, refractors, and numbered parallels that appeal to collectors seeking rarity.

Key Facts

• 18 NBA Championships — most in league history.
• Bill Russell 1957 RC: cornerstone Celtics card.
• Larry Bird 1980 RC with Magic Johnson & Julius Erving: Hobby icon.
• 2008 Big Three cards (Pierce, Garnett, Allen) are strong modern chases.
• Celtics collecting spans vintage grails to affordable modern rookies.

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